


The Demonic Hero

by Fairielight11



Category: Devil May Cry, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Class 1-A Friendship (My Hero Academia), Demon/Human Relationships, Demons, Devil Trigger (Devil May Cry), F/M, Female Midoriya Izuku, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Good Parent Dante (Devil May Cry), Good Parent Lady (Devil May Cry), Izuku is Dante & Lady's child, Midoriya Izuku Has One for All Quirk, Multi, Possessive Behavior, Quirkless Midoriya Izuku, Sentient Devil Arms (Devil May Cry)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-09
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 10:21:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27469411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fairielight11/pseuds/Fairielight11
Summary: From a young age there were few who believed in her. Ostracized. Friendless and feared for the blood in her veins. Izuki Midoriya Redgrave learned early on the world was not all smiles and sunshine. it was often cold and dark; hope non-existent. Even so, it was a hero's job to smile in the face of adversity and take a stand for justice-just like her dad, Dante.
Relationships: Class 1-A & Midoriya Izuku, Dante & Morrison (Devil May Cry), Dante & Nero & Vergil (Devil May Cry), Dante & Trish (Devil May Cry), Dante (Devil May Cry) & Midoriya Izuku, Dante/Lady (Devil May Cry), Lady & Trish (Devil May Cry), Lady (Devil May Cry) & Midoriya Izuku, Midoriya Izuku & Trish (Devil May Cry)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 54





	1. Prologue: A Demon Named Sparda

**Author's Note:**

> Just an idea I cooked up after getting all hyped up for the DMC 5: Special Edition and the latest chapter of BNHA manga as well as the upcoming season 5. Plus I found it ironic Vergil somehow has a kid in the first place but not DantexP
> 
> Also yes, in case you didn't read the tags, Izuku is indeed a girl.

_Two millennia ago, there was a war._

_Between the human world and the demon world; a place where nightmarish creatures and devils roamed free and unchained. The emperor of this world was a powerful being named Mundus. Under his rule he ordered his legion of monsters to march on the human world, determined to expand his dark kingdom. Opening the gateway to the human world, the demon army attacked a helpless humanity with little standing in their way. But a powerful demon, the demon king's own right hand, woke up to justice and rebelled against his kind, sparing the human race from a gruesome fate. His name was Sparda._

_Sparda alone defeated the forces of hell, before moving on to the Emperor of Darkness himself, sealing Mundus into a marble vault. Pushing the last of the demons back, Sparda used his own blood, along with the blood of a human priestess, in conjunction with his sword and a mystical amulet to seal the gateway between worlds, the Temen-ni-gru tower. With the human realm saved and much of his demon power sealed away, Sparda's name became legend and was revered by mankind. And his name could only grow, becoming The Legendary Dark Knight Sparda as he lived among humanity, continuing to save the world from demons._

_However, nothing lasts forever. As the centuries slipped on by, the memory of Sparda's deeds and the very existence of demons became little more than folktale to most. In its place, came the manifestation of supernatural abilities in humans. The phenomenon began in Qing Qing City, China, where a newborn baby with the ability of luminescence baffled the minds of doctors. Further cases of people with extraordinary powers, known today as quirks, began popping up across the world, growing in population over time and changing society to incorporate the rising of these meta-humans. With the rise of quirks and no more demons, Sparda would settle down with a human woman by the name of Eva, and have 2 children; twin sons named Dante and Vergil._

_The family of Sparda was peaceful for a time...but after two-thousand years of imprisonment, the seal on the underworld finally began to weaken, and Sparda had disappeared not long after his children were born. In an act of revenge, Mundus sent his minions after Sparda's family. Eva stood no chance against the demons and lost her life trying to protect both their sons...but was only able to find Dante, thus leaving him as the presumed only survivor that day as Vergil was never found._

_Decades later...Dante was reunited with his twin brother, Vergil. The latter having survived the years with the aid of his father's memento, the devil sword Yamato, and yearned to obtain even greater strength by unlocking the very power of Sparda himself. In his attempts to gain his father's power, Vergil met Arkham, a man bent on obtaining the demonic power for himself who knew that unlocking Sparda's power also meant the seal on the underworld itself would weaken. To this end, Arkham and Vergil worked together to awaken the Temen-ni-gru and reopen the gateway to hell in order to retrieve the Legendary Dark Knight's sword. In the wake of the unholy tower's resurgence, a small demon invasion followed capturing the attention of the world once again as heroes rose to battle the forces of hell._

_Conflicted over his feelings for his long lost brother, Dante set out to stop both Vergil and Arkham, armed with his own memento from his father, Rebellion. Despite his efforts, Arkham betrayed Vergil and opened the gateway to the demon world and claimed Sparda's power for himself. It was during this time Dante met the demon hunter who he nicknamed 'Lady', discovering her own lust for revenge on her father, Arkham for having killed her mother, which served to strengthen Dante's own resolve. The two established an unusual connection with one another via their unique familial ties, with Dante vowing to take care of the mad scholar. Upon meeting Arkham in the demon world, Dante temporarily teamed up with his brother to defeat the human and removed him from their father's power. However, the comradery would not last long as they were unable to overcome their own differences. The ensuing battle between brothers was fierce but at its end, Vergil met his match. Refusing Dante's help, Vergil allowed himself to fall alone down into the underworld much to his brother's hidden despair. As the portal to the demon world closed, Dante retrieved his father's sword and returned home, soon after opening up his very own shop, with Lady even giving the place a name that stuck on him;_

_Devil May Cry._

_Using the store's front as a small-time hero agency/local handyman, he used his business as a means to hunt down demons and collect information on Mundus. Handling villains and occasional demons, his jobs eventually gained him traction as an up and coming pro-hero in the public eye despite him not properly having a quirk; rather it was his careful use of his demon heritage that the public saw. Sometime later, a mysterious and beautiful woman appeared at Dante's door. The woman introduced herself as Trish and bore a striking resemblance to Dante's deceased mother, Eva._

_Trish led Dante to Mallet Island, the place where Mundus was sealed away on the note that the demon responsible for his mother's death would soon return and wreak havoc on the human world once more. There Dante faced a gauntlet of some of Mundus' most lethal minions, all of whom fell to the Devil Hunter's inordinate and uninhibited strength. Among them was his brother Vergil, who had been warped into the demon known as Nelo Angelo, and Trish herself, who was created by Mundus in Eva's image to lure Dante out and kill him. Despite her betrayal, Dante spared the demon, only for Trish to suffer at the hands of her creator for failing her purpose. In the face of Mundus' cruelty, Dante's anger erupted like never before. Unleashing his true demonic power with the aid of the restored Devil Sword Sparda, the Son of Sparda defeated Mundus and sealed the demon king away as his father had done before. Escaping Mallet Island with the assistance of Trish, Dante returned to his shop and continued hunting demons and villains with Lady and Trish at his side._

_As time passed, Devil May Cry became a popular Hero Agency with Dante cracking the top 10 pro heroes alongside names like All Might and Endeavor. Despite his fairly chill, if not lazy attitude, all seemed right in the world._

_Until a certain incident took place…_

Dante, Lady and Trish returned to the main office. A heavy silence blanketing the air around them that made some of the staff milling about a little more on edge than usual, especially whenever they glanced towards Lady only to receive the third degree from Dante himself. The hunter's eyes flashing an inhuman red before they scurried off to whatever area they deemed safest at the moment.

Trish felt a pang of pity for them really. There were few things that could calm a devil on a rampage after all, and that hive of demons Dante took out barely scratched the surface. The blonde's eyes daring to slide on over the deep gash on Lady's arm and the soft droplets of fresh crimson echoing between them like the tolling of bells.

Barely even remembering how things turned out the way they did, only able to recall the exact moment when one of the bigger demons got far too close to Lady for her liking.

Or Dante's.

~/~

Part of her was doubtful she would ever forget seeing such a powerful show of rage from Dante though, still unable to fully stop her fingers from trembling. The charge that went through the air as the demon was literally torn in half before hers and Lady's very own eyes. The darkened blood splattered messily against the pavement.

And it didn't stop there.

Trish, Lady and even the surrounding demons all watched with varying degrees of awestruck horror and amazement as Dante's bare hands tore through the other being's flesh, hearing the loud crunch of cartilage and shattering of bones beneath the demon hunter's feet as he stalked his way over, sword at the ready towards the seemingly shell-shocked demons surrounding them. His voice, usually so playful if perhaps a bit condescending, was now drenched in something dark and truly horrific.

" **Don't you ever touch her**."

There was a time when Trish thought the former demon king Mundus was the most fearsome of beings to exist both in the human and demon worlds. In that moment however, it very quickly changed to Dante. After all, there was a reason Sparda started out as Mundus's general.

~/~

Trish let out a breath she wasn't even aware she was holding when each of the other two finally move; Dante going to sulk on his chair and Lady going to sulk in her bedroom, probably. Trish wanted to roll her eyes at both of them. The two had been dancing around each other for months since she had returned as an official member. She'd even caught Dante's minor slip-up one late afternoon, his 'almost' confession that brought all the teasing and coy flirting going on between him and Lady to a grinding halt.

It was adorable, or rather it would be if they had actually gotten together by now. At the very least it would make Dante's increasingly frequent fits of over-protectiveness seem a little more bearable. As things stood, Lady was taking it as more of an insult than anything else, confessing in secrecy to Trish at one point she thought Dante probably didn't want the 'little human' getting hurt. But with this latest incident and the two of them dragging this on as long as they had, what was adorable was now just exhausting.

Trish was ending this, right here, right now.

"Dante," she called out, striding over to his desk. "You need to talk to her."

Dante, being the kind of grown man that he was, simply wheeled his chair in the other direction, leading Trish to tap a heeled shoe against the floor in impatience. Her arms folded over her chest and her pointed look unwavering from the back of his head.

"Dante."

She may look like his mother, but she wasn't. And so if Dante was set on being childish then she would take a different approach.

"Fine. I guess I may as well go help Lady pack. After all I can read between the lines just fine." She said, flipping her long blonde hair over her shoulder and heading for the stairs. "I'll just tell her the truth, that a human has no place with us. Wouldn't want her ending up like Eva, after all, would we-"

"Wait just a goddamn minute!" The effect is immediate as whatever thinning patience Dante had snapped, his voice coming out like a dangerous snarl. "Are you saying I can't protect her!?"

Trish tilted her head, almost like she was considering the words. "Well, isn't that why you're upset and pouting like a child? Because you couldn't protect her? Because she was hurt?"

Dante fumbled for a response. His words getting stuck in his throat.

"I…"

Meanwhile upstairs Lady was having a similar, albeit slightly different kind of revelation.

"Shit!" Lady cursed again and again, pacing the length of the room nearly pulling out her hair in frustration now that her arm was patched up because dammit all if shit wasn't fucked for her. All because of one stupid, drunken night of...something. Dante really needed to learn to hold his liquor better, otherwise she wouldn't be in this mess.

She knew she had been getting sluggish on missions lately, inexplicably waking up more groggy than the norm; more often than not having to rush to the bathroom first thing. It was a miracle neither of her demon companions suspected anything, but then Lady wouldn't be herself if she started showing signs of weakness, so she covered it up with the standard "ate something bad" or "probably drank a little more than I should've last night" if ever asked. Only now things were spiraling too far, too fast out of her hands. The small little pregnancy test she'd kept hidden away in her nightstand dresser was taunting her. It's little positive sign refusing to be ignored any longer.

She needed to tell Dante, but how?

"Hey, remember that night you got so drunk you proposed, well…" She shook her head, laughing at her own pitiful words. She flopped back down onto her bed, left feeling more confused and conflicted since the day she found out her father killed her mother.

She was pulled from her musings by a sudden knock at her door, it was much louder and heavier than Trish which could only mean-

"Lady, can I-...Mind if I come in?"

Shit. Fucking shit. Fuck her to hell and back shit.

Lady was not going to be able to put this off. Suddenly, whatever self-imposed deadline she had shortened from maybe a week or so to fucking right now.

"Y-yeah. Just a second!" She stumbled off her bed, willing herself towards the door with legs that felt like jelly.

She could do this. She could do this! It was just Dante after all, right?

The same guy she shot in the face after catching her midair that one time. The same stupid Dante who she always caught looking at those dumb porno magazines...come to think it those are gonna have to go if he finds out...

Taking a moment to steel herself, she swung open the door, stiff as a board.

"Uh, are you okay?" Dante asked slowly, giving her stiff posture a once-over. Lady forced a smile deflecting the question with one of her own.

"Come to apologize?"

His expression sobered real quick. Running his fingers through his hair, letting out a heavy sigh of frustration.

"Something like that." He admitted. "Can I...come in?"

"Can you?" Lady parroted, arching a brow. A comfortable, familiar silence stretched between them when the smallest semblance of a smirk adorned her face, stepping aside to allow him into her room. A soft chuckle spilling from his own lips, accompanied by a small shake of the head following her muttered comment of "you better not trash the place."

"About the mission, I just-"

"I'm pregnant." Lady blurted out. Because really, what better way was there with someone like Dante? Part of her doubted he even remembered them drinking together, much less going into one of the bedrooms.

The air felt charged with some unspoken, unfamiliar emotion. One that was always there between them but rarely spoken about most of the time, if only ever teasing on it. She shifted, fingers playing with the hem of her shirt contemplating the seconds before Dante snapped out of his stupor and told her to pack her things and leave.

He loved Trish, not her. At least that was how it always seemed. Trish was a demon like him. She could keep up with him in a way Lady herself never could, much to her frustration...and dare she say...jealousy.

He wouldn't want her getting in the way of that with a child.

When he did finally speak, a voice rough like gravel regarded her with that same intensity as back in the Temen-ni-gru while taking a bullet to the chest like it was nothing. All she was thinking of back then had been revenge, and she wasn't nearly as scared then as she was right now. With the father of her unborn child seconds from giving her the boot.

' _Way to go Mary, you fucked yourself again_.' She thought, feeling the burn of salty tears.

"You sure it's mine?"

"Wha-...Excuse me?" In a split second the uncertainty and fear was replaced by a sudden, irrational anger. Without thinking she grabbed the still loaded gun on her backside, aiming it straight at his face. "Say that again."

The slow-spreading smile on his face gave him away before the laugh. The news sinking in caused Lady to blink. The revelation leaving him a bit awestruck. He was going to be a dad!

...

' _Oh fuck_ ', he thought a moment later.

He was going to be a dad.

It was at that moment Lady accidentally-so she claims-pulled the trigger on him.

~/~

Newborn cries filled the small white, sterile hospital room as Dante is handed what in his opinion was the smallest looking bundle of pink blankets in the world. His expression very nearly shell-shocked, disbelieving that such an innocent, beautiful little girl could be his. He thought of his mother, of his brother whom he thought he lost for a time….and lastly, he thought of his wife; exhausted but smiling from the bed she was lying in.

"Congratulations," the nurse said with a soft smile, "You have a beautiful baby girl."

"It's a girl," Dante repeated, feeling an unusual sting in his eyes while Lady gave out a tired sounding laugh.

"Whoever said devils don't cry, hm?" She joked, and Dante found himself laughing at the irony of it.

"Have you thought of a name for her birth certificate?" The doctor inquired, making the couple look at one another.

"Izuki." Lady said, looking at her daughter being held in Dante's arms.

"Izuki Redgrave." Dante finished in a soft voice, so as not to cause the infant to fuss before gently handing her off to her mother.

"No middle name then?" the Doctor said, scribbling down the name on his clipboard.

Lady made a thoughtful noise, gaining a certain glint in her eyes. "Izuki Eva Midoriya Redgrave."

"Really?" Dante laughed, shaking his head a bit. "You're naming her after our cleaning lady?"

Lady only scoffed. "Anyone who can handle cleaning up after you deserves only the highest of honors. Especially given how many empty pizza boxes she and I have had to throw out."

Dante rolled his eyes, but said nothing more on the subject. Instead, he chose to focus on the small little life being cradled to his wife's chest sleeping soundly already, inwardly patting himself on the back recalling how he accidentally gave the reporters the wrong hospital address.

He felt like he'd hit the jackpot.


	2. Dwelling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully you all enjoy some of 'Daddy Dante' in this chapter~!

Dante was really not doing so hot.

Look-wise he was still pretty fucking _fan_ tastic of course, but today felt like everyone and everything had banded together to try his patience.

To start the Commission meeting. Not another one of the many 'meet-and-greets' he was forced into attending with some other more well-known heroes, like it was Dante's fault he didn't really _want_ to be a hero. Unfortunately he now had a kid and therefore needed a more solid income and between tightfisted Morrison, the landlady/maid/on-the spot babysitter and his sometimes devil of a wife who was _still_ throwing the occasional jab over his supposed debt-well, things could be better.

Did he really even owe her that much? He vaguely recalled her hollering something about a broken suspension bridge or other a while back but surely it was the fault of the demon he was chasing and not actually him. Plus as it turns out things like pacifiers, baby monitors and diapers were not cheap.

It had seemed like a pretty sweet deal at first, they pay off his mountain of debt and provide a _very_ generous flow of cash. In return they gain access to an answer to all their non-human problems.

Ever since his dear brother's stunt of trying to unseal the demon world in order to gain their father's power Dante's pretty much had one complication on top of another cropping up. The first and foremost being that the general public was now very much aware that demons existed and while a good chunk of quirks may be able to combat them, even keeping them at bay a fair amount-there were just as many instances where that simply wasn't the case and a particularly powerful demon came stomping onto their plane of existence forcing Dante himself to step in.

It wasn't long after the higher-ups came knocking on his door seeking both answers and a means of protection against the very unprecedented new type of threat. And while he was enjoying pizza no less! Dante was about to turn them away and tell them where they could shove it...then Morrison came walking in, Lady in tow and Dante felt his mood lighten just a bit as they fell into their usual banter with Morrison taking the reins on the discussion with the Hero-groups or whatever.

Now he was stuck attending annual 'check-ins' to make sure no new demon activity was popping up, or at least none that warranted any major concern. Just the thought of sitting in that dull office with no pizza or wife, no strawberry sundaes...it made him grimace.

"Maybe I should just ditch?" He muttered, lazily flipping through a magazine.

"Don't even think about it."

Dante didn't bother looking up, barely even letting out a scoff. "When'd you get back?" Long, flowing blonde hair danced in the edges of his vision.

"Just now. Lady called and said you seemed like you were going to ditch today, so she asked me to keep an eye on you." Trish informed, causing Dante to snort.

"I'm not five, I'm pretty sure of the two of us _I_ am a fully capable adult-"

"Who still eats nothing but pizza and strawberry sundaes when his wife isn't looking. By the way she says she's still mad at you over what happened last week," Trish says amused.

Dante lets out a breath of annoyance, finally closing his magazine and rolling his eyes. "Gimme a break, I was just minding my own damn business when Mr. Asshat came walking over and insulted my daughter-"

"You made _a scene_ Dante, not to mention almost broke his jaw." The amused chuckle that came spilling from her lips betrayed the stern tone making Dante's own furious expression soften just a tad. "The guy was an ass I agree, insulting a kid like that...but Izuki, you, me, Morrison and Lady as well as everyone else here all know he was in the wrong."

Dante didn't give any kind of verbal agreement, instead letting his eyes glance up and looking through the clear-tinted windows at the staff bustling about the place. Part of him still missed the peace and quiet he once had, but he was getting used to it.

"Now come on, the meeting starts at 8."

"Can't you just go in my stead like you did that one time?" Dante teased with a smirk.

"I suppose I _could_ ," Trish began in an equally enticing manner. "Though only if _you_ explain the how and why to _your_ wife afterwards."

"Alright already, I get it!" Dante said, annoyed. Slamming a hand down on the desk he had his feet propped on moments ago effectively startling a few of the interns milling about near the door.

"Stupid meetings…"Dante continuously grumbled under his breath the entire walk to the car.

"I know, it's _so_ hard being a wanted man, isn't it?" Came Trish's unappreciated comment from behind as they walked.

Downstairs Morrison was already waiting and seemed content on having a grand old time laughing at his misfortune. Dante made sure to send him a very 'today's not the day' look before at least _attempting_ to get some shut-eye on the way there.

"So, today's the day isn't it?" Morrison clearly has no intention of allowing Dante his sleep, though his chosen topic of conversation could be much worse. Offering a shrug, Dante cracks one eye open to look at the other man. "You know most parents I've seen would be more a wreck sending their kids off to school for the first time and all….not to mention she's just a shy little thing."

Dante was worried, far more than he let on. "It's just preschool, besides if I was the one dropping her off then it'd just make a bigger mess of things…" His tone was lacking any kind of dismay to it, but the other two still saw through him nonetheless.

There were very few people in his life whom Dante could say he actually trusted wholeheartedly and aside from Lady the two in the car with him were next on the list, including Inko herself. And he knew better than anyone that if word got out that Izuki, his precious baby girl, had demon's blood in her veins-even if it is the blood of Sparda-people would hate and fear her.

She'd become an outcast before she even turns four. That isn't the kind of life he wants for her.

Not him and not his wife. They wanted their child to be happy and accepted.

"Still, she's into All Might, isn't she? People love him, so she'll definitely have something to talk about." Morrison let out a chuckle when Dante snorted, actually _pouting_ in the seat beside him. "Aw, don't tell me Daddy Dante's still a little jealous?"

"Course he is, did you see his face that day when Inko brought Izuki home in her new All Might pajamas?" Trish was laughing now.

"No, but Inko did show me the pictures," Morrison informed, being the smug son of a bitch that he was.

"Your both assholes, you know that?" Trish and Morrison paid his venomous words no heed, reminiscing on shared stories of little Izuki and Daddy Dante the whole way there. Much to Dante's thinning patience, a headache quickly making itself known.

Meanwhile far on the other side of Red Grave City in a standalone, tall building someone else was showing signs of a similar headache, albeit for slightly different reasons…

"Ma'am while we understand your concerns for the child our staff is very capable-"

"Your _staff_? Oh, you mean like that woman who refused to let us in past the front desk?" Dual-colored eyes narrowed shrewdly, her patience at an all time low from the moment she saw how the school receptionist had greeted her precious baby girl. The lady who had been someone Dante was _kind_ enough to save when a demon possessed her boyfriend late last month.

Turned out she somehow thought it was Dante's fault to begin with and recognized Izuki as Dante had taken her out for some ice cream on that fateful day. Lady was well acquainted with the mortal woman's look of disdain despite Izuki herself lacking any noticeably similar traits to her father at all; Izuki inherited more of her looks thankfully. The smile she then gave to her and Inko was so fake Lady had half a mind to put a bullet through it, not that she'd really want to waste the ammo.

Fortunately-though it had yet to be entirely ruled upon-the principal came scurrying over at the exact moment Lady decided to try and reach over the counter. Inko being the voice of reason between them, shielding poor little Izuki from the other woman's scornful glare as she was _dismissed_ for the day.

" _Bitch_ …" Lady muttered under her breath, making absolutely certain the other female had heard it.

"Again, I apologize for that however, I assure you she and I will be having strong words at a later date-"

"So you're not going to fire her then?" Lady cut in, her tone sharp and almost accusing. "Therefore leaving _her_ with the notion she did nothing wrong, _again_. Just like that shrew of a teacher who keeps sending her out in the hall with a detention whenever she so much as sneezes claiming she's causing too much of a disturbance." The principal began to sweat, "I also couldn't help but overhear your little pep talk you gave to one of the students I said were picking on my daughter as well." Lady had to hand it to the man, he did a remarkable impression of a fish at the very least with how quickly his mouth opened and shut.

"This is the second time she's been that way with the first being when I came to enroll my daughter in the first place. Are you sure this is how you want to play it?"

The principal started panicking. Lady spared a quick glance towards the door of the office, knowing just on the other side was Inko with her daughter. The older woman was kind enough to try and cheer Izuki up while she dealt with the principal.

"Look here," Lady began leaning forward the smallest amount, fixing the man with the same kind of glare she reserved for the demons she hunted. "My child has just as much of a right to a good education as anybody else's and my _husband,_ who you can bet will be stopping in to have a few choice words with you, is one of the top hero's to date in case you've forgotten. The fact that we have to put up with this level of unprofessionalism is a bunch of bullshit."

Lady _really_ hoped Dante was having a better time than she was right now because if the way she left the principal bawling like a baby was any kind of indication, they were going to need to find a new school for Izuki to go to. One _not_ run by a bunch of prejudice assholes.

Inko was truly a godsend for situations like these in which Lady had a bad habit of letting her temper sometimes get the better of her. The older woman offers a nice stable ground and kind, attentive second pair of eyes when watching Izuki. It reminded her of her own mother from time to time.

But then she would also be reminded of her asshole of a father and her train of thought stopped right there.

"Looks like this place was a bust too…" Lady said aloud, running her fingers through her hair in frustration. They were running out of places to try and get Izuki enrolled.

"I don't understand why people wouldn't want such a sweet child in their class," Inko cooed holding Izuki in her arms. The small child looked more glum than usual, no doubt having heard at least _some_ of her mother's outburst in that office.

"It's cuz I'm a monster…" Izuki mumbled, burying her tear-filled eyes into Inko's sweater. The two older women stopped walking with Lady reaching to take her child, speaking in hushed tones.

"No no, sweetie, don't you ever think that alright?" Lady soothed hearing the hiccups start, whipping her daughter's tears as quickly as they fell. "This place is just full of big dummies, okay?" She smiled, waiting for watery green to meet her own mismatched ones.

"But that's what that one lady said-"

"She's the stupidest of them all." Lady cut in, the sudden urge to run and hunt that bitch down growing by the second. Too bad Lady also didn't think she was worth going to jail over. "Hey I know, why don't we go get some ice-cream to cheer you up, mommy's treat."

The crestfallen look melted off Izuki's face, replaced by a beaming smile. "A sundae with strawberries?"

"Only if you don't tell daddy since he needs to lay off the sugar," Lady added sternly.

"Don't tell me he's still eating mostly pizza and sundaes?" Inko's troubled voice came in from the side, looking a tad perplexed over Dante's chosen diet.

Lady shrugged, a small spike of irritation spilling into her next words. "He said something about it being genetics last time I caught him, whatever the hell that means. That was also when Morrison had to go in person to tell them to stop delivering."

Back across town, Dante sneezed.

~/~

"So as you can see Mister Dante, there has been a steady overflow of demons popping up in the outskirts of the Qing Pong City as well as several sightings near the Makunda Bay here, here and _here_." Dante lazily followed along, looking at the spots where the Commission woman was pointing while reaching for another slice of pizza laid out for him on the table. He had to hand it to them, at least they knew how to keep him from walking out right away. Though the 'anti-demon' protestors out front had soured his mood a little more, scattering like mice the moment he turned flashing red eyes on them.

He didn't need the constant reminder that a small portion of people weren't exactly _thrilled_ at the idea of a _demon_ protecting them, not that he cared all that much anyway. When he went to stop the Temen-ni-gru it wasn't like he was going on a pleasure trip, he mostly just went since his idiot brother was involved. Such simpler times back then. A demon invasion occurs because your brother and your now-wife's psycho dad want your father's power? Kill a few demons, close the portal to hell, problem solved. Now though? The amount of paperwork alone for just one demon sighting was enough to make Dante fall asleep.

Not to mention some of the news spinning stories like it was his fault a demon decided to visit the human world. God, the things you do to pay some stingy landlord, raise a family and get your pizza/sundae fill. His thoughts were interrupted when Trish, lovable sidekick that she was, noticed him starting to nod off and drove the heel of her boot down into his foot. He shot her a glare, opting to prop his feet up on the nearby table out of the she-devil's reach.

"Our biggest points of concern being the why and how, as well as seizing immediate control. We want to ensure the public's safety and get to the root over why it seems the demon populace is suddenly becoming so restless-"

"Probably because they're pissed. And greedy." Dante cut in, downing another slice before continuing. "How would you feel being stuck in an eternal hellfest, the only source of company being a bunch of bloodthirsty demons and other assholes wanting to claw your eyes out?"

Trish slapped him on the shoulder, fixing him with that same pointed stare Lady threw his way whenever it was time to 'lay off the pizza', or worse, when it was his turn to change Izuki.

"Well be that as it may it's causing a majority of the citizens to panic as I'm sure you can imagine." The Commission representative finished, choosing to _not_ reprimand Dante's rather coarse choice of words, seeming to want to focus more on the issue at hand. Too bad Dante really wasn't in a working kind of mood.

"And the heroes there are all useless?" He thought for a moment about who he might know or recognize stationed in that area, no one of any real note coming to mind. And if the subtle way the Commission lady's lips pursed was any clear indication he must have hit the nail right on the head.

"They tend to be more urban areas, therefore there are few of the 'powerhouse' types if you will and while certain Emitter-types may also prove useful there is nowhere near enough to combat the increase in surfacing demons."

"Then send more out?" Dante offered, one brow raised as if to ask what the problem was.

She sighed. It was the kind of sound that told Dante he would be stuck there at least for another hour or so.

His gaze shifted a split second later, catching the smallest tuft of blonde peeking out from around the corner. Hearing the shuffling of _something_ -it was too light to be flesh or claws. While the woman started talking he got up, a slice of pizza still hanging from his mouth, walking over towards the slightly ajar door and yanking it open.

"Uwaa-!"

It wasn't a demon, he could tell that much before getting up. Though what kind of kid went and got lost in a place like this?

"Hawks!" The woman seated across from Dante rose from her seat, immediately coming over just as the kid began to pick himself up. He was a few years older than Izuki, with tousled strands of blonde hair and-wait, are those _wings_? The woman was calling him Hawks, ' _so then it's a result of his quirk_?' Dante thinks, a bit curious watching the cluster of red feathers twitch some.

The Commission lady closed the distance between them with impressive speed for a human in heels, so Dante thought. Not at all oblivious to the oh so subtle way she steered Hawks body a _way_ from Dante, her body language a tad reminiscent of how he reacted when a demon got just a little too close for comfort to his one and only child before he ripped it in two. Only this woman lacked any of the warmth or protectiveness in the action, her eyes holding a certain level of caution like she wasn't entirely sure on whether or not Dante had it in him to actually hurt a child.

Golden eyes looked up and met his bluer ones. Dante felt _something_ , the kid wasn't a demon so then _why_ -

" _ **Dante, this child is mine**_."

A sudden chill reverberated through the air, accompanied by a spike in bloodlust. Causing Dante's eyes to narrow on the child some, unintentionally causing him to flinch. He turned when the child's face was re-directed onto the commission member's sharp gaze, letting the Commission woman take care of the child, scolding him for eavesdropping while he locked eyes with Trish. His pizza falling to the ground, forgotten at the small sudden flicker of demonic energy.

"I apologize for that, I don't know how he managed to slip away from his handler but-"

"That boy, you called him Hawks?" Dante says only after Hawks has been led out of the room by another person in a suit. "Didn't know the Commission did babysitting now." His tone was light while refusing to tear his eyes from the door Hawks just left out of.

"Hawks is an up and coming hero that is undergoing special training here at our facility." The woman clarified, going back over to take her seat and resume the meeting. Sparring another quick glance in the direction of the door Dante followed her, whispering something to Trish when he brushed past her.

There's a chill in the air that wasn't there seconds ago and he's sure they both can feel it.

It's a shame really, since he wasn't in a working mood to begin with.

"How old is he? He looks maybe...ten?" The lady frowned, not seeming at all comfortable by Dante's sudden interest in their young charge.

"Mr. Dante-"

"Those wings were impressive," a rare flicker of emotion flits across her face and Dante's pretty sure it's panic rather than something more tolerable. And though he already knows the answer, a part of him feels compelled to ask anyhow, needing the extra insurance. "He's not a demon, is he?"

"No. The wings are a manifestation of his quirk is all. I'm sure I don't need to remind you that while a majority of the public has shown acceptance and a more welcoming demeanor towards demons there are still those who-"

"Can't stand our guts?" Dante interrupted, not really in the mood for _that_ particular speech again. "Yeah I met quite a few of them on the way in. Even recognized some from a recent job I went on." He shrugs, his demeanor returning to his usual aloofness. The kid, Hawks, lingering at the back of his mind.

Just as he was about to sit back down, his phone buzzed with a text message. "Excuse me, but I'm afraid I just need to make a quick phone call…"

~/~

Hawks had seen the devil once, when he was younger. He had felt that unearthly chill in the air that came accompanied with a pair of unnatural eyes, red as blood. It was a chance encounter really, one that haunted his dreams from time to time still.

" _Mother! Father!"_

_He remembered the creaking of the floorboards beneath his feet as he walked. The sudden darkening of the sunlight outside seconds before the inside of the house was plunged into darkness. Then came the sounds, like bone breaking apart or someone's spine being snapped in half._

_He turned, seeing only a column of darkness before him. Feeling a pair of eyes on him, making him clutch his endeavor doll a bit tighter. "M-...mother?" He called, daring to creep closer. "F-father?"_

_The face he saw wasn't that of either of his parents. It was-_

"Hawks! Are you listening?" His handler interrupted, jerking his attention back up towards the older man.

"Y...yes." He really wasn't, unable to contain his curiosity when he heard the whispers about the famed 'Devil Hunter' stopping by. The one who was not entirely human with more of a penchant for hunting the unnatural and-as some would say- _unholier_ lifeforms. Things many dismissed as mere works of fiction in the past, but were now becoming more and more afraid of.

Hawks expected maybe horns or claws, something to denote the one called Dante's demonic heritage. Only instead he discovered he looked every bit as human as the rest of them. His hair a snow-white and skin a little more on the tan side perhaps, but that was about it.

Personality-wise he was certainly...unique. From the few sessions on 'profiling' Hawks had undergone he could tell Dante did not truly _want_ to be there, nor did he have much respect for authority figures it seemed. On more than one occasion he'd overheard a member of the Commission break down crying, exclaiming how Dante's mere presence was suffocating.

True enough, the Devil Hunter had his own ring of gravity around him it seemed. It drew Hawks in while also threatening to crush him completely at the same time. It was different from ones like All Might, more unnatural.

Even Endeavor, as awkward and unapproachable as he may be at times, was nothing like him. There was something about that Dante guy that actually _scared_ him.

Was the guy really not human?

~/~

There are times, however fleeting, where Dante wishes he _was_ entirely human. For his daughter's sake more than anything else.

"Really, so it was another bust, huh?" A sigh of frustration came spilling from Dante's lips, pinching the bridge of his nose in mild irritation. How he would have loved to march down to that stupid school and shove his sword where the sun didn't shine with that asshole of a principal-

" _Daddy_!" A much younger, more innocent sounding voice came on the line making Dante smile.

"Hey little angel, how's it going?" There was some light rustling, probably Lady or Inko.

" _Mommy took me out for some ice cream. I'm sorry I didn't go to school today like you wanted_ …" The sudden way all joy drained from her voice had Dante internally cursing out a certain principal and receptionist, " _I really thought*hic* this time they wanted me_ -"

"Hey, hey come on now, none of that. Those people _clearly_ don't know a good thing when they see it." He kept his voice light, almost teasing. "You know your Mommy and Daddy got thrown out of quite a few schools back in the day, it's not that uncommon."

" _You did_?"

"Oh yeah! Especially your mom," Dante was sure he would get an earful later on for mentioning one of his beloved wife's 'dirty' little secrets, but hey, at least it made Izuki laugh. "Anyway, Daddy's gotta go back to his meeting. But be sure to bring me back a sundae, yeah? If Mommy asks then we can split it. That way she can't say no."

The last sound he heard before hitting the disconnect button was his precious daughter's laugh.

He turned his gaze skyward, taking note of how many floors there appeared to be. None housing any kind of demonic aura like what he felt earlier either. While it was a definite possibility the demon may have either fled or was simply scoping things out there was something that still felt off about it.

Walking back inside he caught sight of a black feather laying on the ground, similar in size and shape to that of the boy, Hawks. He picked it up, looking it over then proceeded to head back inside into the meeting.

In the reflection of the door that slammed shut after him there stood a young girl; Her eyes a fiery-crimson with a black and white mask in the motif of a bird with sharp, pointed brows like a long-horned owl and a sharpened beak over where her nose might have been. Her clothes looked wet and covered with something foul as she clutched a ratty old doll, standing barefoot.

She turned, beginning to walk away from the building, the doll dragging along behind her on the pavement. Leaving behind the building that now had the devil hunter inside. Figuring she would simply come back tomorrow or possibly at a later date altogether. It made no difference.

" _My love, my love. My fearless love. I will not say goodbye._ "

In the wake of her steps pools of darkness began to show, taking root and expanding in seconds. Clawed hands reaching up, out into the open air dragging with them inhuman-looking creatures.

" _Sea may rise. Sky may fall. My love will never die_."

Clouds darkened the sky overhead, rolling in from both sides. A crack of lightning resounded through the air, then the downpour started. Horrified screams started to ring out over the city, drowning out the words of her lullaby.

" _Go on. Go on. Go bravely on, into the blackest night._ "

Hell followed where she went. Blood splattered against buildings and sidewalks, people dropping dead. At one point someone's half-eaten corpse dropped onto the pavement in front of her.

She sidestepped and turned the nearest corner, catching a sudden glint of steel as she did. Doing a sudden double-take as the demons that appeared were mowed down like grass in a powerful gust of wind. Her doll dropping, red eyes blazing with some unspoken emotion recognizing the blade immediately. And that _scent_ -

" _ **Sparda**_ _."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't ask why I feel the commission would have pizza for Dante to munch on lol, think the answer's obviousxP


	3. Encounter

_Lady was looking especially proud of herself while slowly pouring the very girly(in Dante's humble opinion anyway) shade of purple into the paint tray. Running her paint roller through it a couple times before starting on the wall closest to her. She had so kindly gifted-thrown-the other one Dante's way telling him to 'get to work'._

" _Okay, I still don't get why we need to paint_."

_Next to him, Lady sighed and brought up a hand to rub against her forehead in a practiced motion while pausing mid eye-roll at him. "Because Dante, we want our child to feel welcome. And water stains_ _**aren't** _ _welcoming, right?"_

_Dante gave out a tsk, hands on his hips and frowning while he surveyed the spare bedroom. True, there_ _**were** _ _still quite a few water stains decorating the ceiling from when a pipe burst last winter, and it probably also didn't help that the wallpaper was starting to peel in several places. Still, you could hardly really even see them….maybe. Nevertheless Lady was still dutifully painting away, the two of them working together for the last two hours or so, having almost finished with the smaller room._

_It had been just a few months since she dropped the bombshell on him that he was going to be a dad-still couldn't believe it!-but he and his leading Lady(brushing off the conk to the back of the head she'd given) had already made several important trips to the furniture store, baby store, grocery store and a bunch of other places Dante didn't really, particularly care for. Lady also made it her personal mission to go perusing through every cabinet, drawer and hidden compartment in search of his 'special' magazines before chucking them all in the nearest garbage. And while he'd like to say he handled it maturely, well…_

" _There. See?" Lady took a small step back, seeming to sway a bit and Dante bolted towards her just in case. One of her hands moving to rest against her more swollen belly with Dante taking that cue to mean she was done working for the day._

_He was fine with it honestly, putting far more priority on the sweet little seductress now in his arms and the fragile life still inside her. He hadn't realized he was staring until familiar, slender fingers combed through his hair, shifting his attention back up into dual-colored eyes. "Look at you, thinking so hard," she teased, lips pulling back into a smirk._

" _Just admiring_ _ **our**_ _handiwork." he met her smirk with his own looking around the room as he spoke. He had to admit, the green and purple did look nice. She let out a scoff, rolling her eyes some more._

" _I assume you mean the paint, and in which case, yes. Much better than that god awful hotrod red_ _ **you**_ _wanted to go with."_

" _Hey, red's a hot color, thank you very much."_

" _In your head maybe."_

" _Well, it certainly won you over, didn't it?"_

_She doesn't respond to that, merely smiling. Then little by little, still seeming hesitant, she leaned her head to rest against his shoulder. She exhaled a deep, shaky breath, feeling her more slender arms tighten around him._

" _Dante...I still can't believe it. I'm going to be a mom," her words were thick with a myriad of emotions. Identical to when they first met, only under far better(hopefully?) circumstances._

" _Yeah, still kind of trying to wrap my head around it myself." Dante admitted, sounding unusually solemn for a change._

_Looking back on things he wouldn't say that he never_ _**thought** _ _of Lady in the romantic sense really, he did, god how he did sometimes. Mostly chalking it up to wishful thinking in the end, reminding himself of how they met and how someone like_ _**him** _ _could never...settle down...live a happy life. Not unless he wanted them to end up like his mom._

_The day he lost his mother; When his brother was set down the pursuit of power; When Dante's entire world came crashing down all around him. The thought of going through that a second time, he wasn't sure he could handle it._

_._

_._

_._

_"_ _**Foolishness, Dante, foolishness. Might controls everything, and without strength, you cannot protect anything. Let alone yourself.** _ _"_

"Dante, did you hear what I said?"

Dante's head shot up like clockwork, surveying the room. The Commission lady had stepped out quite some time ago, mentioning something about grabbing a certain file containing important information on a specific string of demon attacks they wanted to go over with him. Dante wasn't all that interested, in fact he'd say it was time for a nap.

"That kid, Hawks," the bewitching blonde began with her arms folded against her chest and looking deep in thought over it. "I'm sure you felt it too, that spike of demonic energy. There was something strange about it, not to mention the sudden wave of demons that spawned a few minutes ago."

"So what? You think someone's after the kid then?" Morrison said, taking a slow, meaningful drag of his cigarette and fixing the two devils with an almost pointed look.

"Well if they are, the real question becomes why haven't they done anything?" Trish rebutted, hands moving to her hips.

"Whaddya mean?" Morrison looked confused now.

"It's the Commission, think about it. If a _demon_ wanted something out of a place with nothing but humans to defend it, why has it been left untouched? Especially when they're not hiding the fact that they want something to begin with," Dante surmised looking up towards the ceiling. The black feather he'd picked up outside felt heavy in his pocket.

"They revealed themselves to Dante on purpose _and_ they made a point of singling out that boy." Trish added, circling around the room a bit, appearing to be looking for something.

"Heh, maybe they thought they could take him?" Morrison muttered with a chuckle, causing Dante to throw a very _un_ amused smirk his way at the subtle jab. "I mean, no offense, but you have been slacking off more than usual lately."

"Yeah? Well, excuse me for wanting to spend more 'family time' rather than hang around assholes like these all day long." Dante grumbled, mood a bit soured since all the pizza was now gone.

At the mention of said family, Trish and Morrison's features softened. "So...the school was another bust, huh?" Trish inquired softly, picking up on the look of frustration brewing across Dante's face.

"It's not like she's showing up with horns on her head and three rows of teeth or whatever, bunch of assholes," was Dante's hiss of annoyance. Running his fingers through his hair in clear irritation. "Maybe we should look into homeschooling. That'd probably work better for her anxiety anyway since she gets too nervous being away from me or Lady for long periods of time."

"You mean since that incident in Mayushiba?" Morrison watched the other man shake his head, looking more and more like he was experiencing the beginnings of a bad migraine. The darker-skinned male opting to stay quiet now.

" I knew coming to this meeting was a bad idea…" With any luck, at least Dante _might_ have a sundae waiting for him back home.

~/~

"Alright, now remember we _can't_ tell Daddy we stopped here, okay?"

"Yes, Mommy," Izuki nodded before looking up at Freddie's menu in awe, bouncing on the balls of her feet excitedly.

"I always forget, taste-wise she seems to take more after her father," Inko remarked with a soft laugh.

Lady rolled her eyes a bit, scoffing. "Tell me about it, I remember the first time I went grocery shopping…"

" _Dante, I finally managed to go shopping and got all kinds of healthy food. So now we can-"_

_Lady stopped, feeling especially proud of herself for actually taking the time to look at some of the more recent grocery ads, scoping out the best deals so she and her quaint family could finally have a meal that didn't involve take-out. Part of her marveling at how her mother had made it all look so easy while growing up, only tagging along a few times at the supermarket._

_Only her good vibes plummeted when she entered the kitchen. Irritation washing over her seeing her newly-wed husband standing near the counter, their precious offspring in his arms. It was the slice of pepperoni pizza hanging from her child's lips however that Lady found her focus immediately drawn to._

" _Danteeee…" Her left brow started twitching a little. She didn't dare risk spilling the groceries, not after taking the time to hunt down the best deals._

" _Wait, it's not what you think!" Dante tried to defend, clearly not expecting her home so soon. "There wasn't anything else to eat and she was hungry, I swear!"_

_It came as no surprise when the next time Trish stopped by Izuki was happily munching away on a plate of fresh fruits and veggies while Dante, the durable guy that he was, was nursing a certain spot between his legs._

"I think he just does it for attention sometimes," Lady remarked once they were seated at a booth. Izuki clamoring onto the seat beside her mother, munching away on a bunch of chicken nuggets as the two adults continued talking. "Still, he does have his moments…" Lady admitted, her thoughts seeming to go into a much more pleasant occasion, or so Izuki and Inko were led to believe by the soft smile on her face.

"Mommy's thinking dirty thoughts," Izuki piped up, grinning mischievously when Lady sputtered a bit.

"Am not, you little rascal!" She rebuffed, flicking her daughter on the nose playfully, making the small girl giggle as she refused to let go.

"One strawberry sundae, here ya go!"

"Hooray!" Izuki cheered, all her attention going to the delicious-looking bowl of ice-cream stacked to the brim with strawberries, hot fudge and whip cream, her favorite! Her small hand reached for her spoon, accidentally smacking it right off the table just as a group of three went walking by.

"Oh no!" Izuki said, immediately hopping out of her seat to get it. Stopping when another hand beat her to it. It was a bit bigger than hers and accompanied by the most _beautiful_ silver eyes.

"Here you go," the boy said, ' _definitely a boy'_ Izuki thought, feeling a light dust of pink settle on her cheeks as she took back the piece of silverware. The boy offered a tiny smile before his eyes wandered over to her sundae, suddenly forgotten on the table. "Wow! That looks tasty, I'm so jealous!" There's no real amount of heat in his words, unlike the people back at the school.

"U-um!" She manages to say just as he is about to turn and leave, something urging her to not let him go. And maybe it was because she hadn't been very good at making friends closer to her own age or just the fact people knew she wasn't entirely normal and got scared, but..!

"W-would you...l-like some?" Her smile is probably crooked, obscured by the tears that are threatening to pour down her face suddenly very fearful of rejection. They're strangers after all, not even on a first name basis. Surely he wouldn't want to-

"If you don't mind that'd be neat! Can my brother and sister join us?" He asked, bouncing on the balls of his feet in excitement. Someone was actually excited about sitting with her?

Shyly she looked towards her mom and Inko, who had been watching the exchange while twiddling her thumbs a little. "U-um, M-Mommy c-can uh, um-" She started mumbling, her words becoming too soft for anyone to hear.

Fortunately Lady understood her daughter well, offering a welcoming smile towards the boy. "Sure, they can join us. I'll even order some more sundaes, sound like a deal?"

"Wow, really!? Hey Toya, Fuyumi let's eat over here!" The boy called towards two other children seated more towards the back. One had a mop of bright red hair while the other was a girl, her glasses looking a little too large for her soft, pale features. Izuki blinked as one person suddenly became three, her mother and Auntie Inko kindly moving over to make room.

"My name's Natsuo by the way, it's nice to meet you!" The now identified Natsuo smiled at her, offering a hand for her to take.

"Um, I-I'm Izuki…" was her mumbled response, feeling a bit blindsided by his sudden burst of energy.

"Izuki? That's a pretty name," was Natsuo's offhanded response, making her face turn a full-on cherry-red for some reason. And if she just so happened to sit next to Natsuo after that, well then no one other than her, mom and Auntie Inko needed to know.

"Well, well," Lady began mostly speaking to Inko now. "She may have inherited her father's appetite, but at least she got _my_ charm. She'll have boys swooning over her yet, and what's better is that it'll drive Dante crazy." Inko and her shared a laugh.

~/~

"You want me to do a team-up with someone? Why?"

The Commission representative let out a sigh, as though expecting Dante's blatant annoyance at the suggestion. Nevermind the fact that it was good representation of _him_ as well-

"As I mentioned before Mr. Sparda-"

"Dante." The correction came automatically, laced with _years_ of bitter feelings towards the old man.

"- _Dante_. There has been an increase in demonic activity in the following areas, a fair number of which are actually already pending investigation in another, majorly relevant on-going case." Dante didn't look like he cared and as cruel as it may sound, he probably didn't. The idea of teaming up with someone-anyone really-was always such a pain because it meant he wasn't going to be fighting demons but _humans_.

"And _why_ exactly is this relevant to me? I already told you I go after demons, not-"

"Are you familiar with All For One, by any chance?" Dante didn't give an immediate reply, instead opting to let Trish take over the questioning. He was really getting too old for this kind of shit anyway.

"You mean the villain All Might was hellbent on taking down, correct?" The beautiful blonde inquired, pointedly moving to stand between the Commission woman and Dante, allowing him a much needed mental break for now. "A _human_ villain, which brings us back to why exactly you feel it pertains to _us_?" She cocked her head to the side in an almost playful manner making Dante scoff and the other woman pale just a little.

"Recently some of our sources say he was in contact with a place called Fortuna." The Commission representative was quick to explain as she lay a vanilla folder down onto the table, opening it to spread several black and white grisly-looking images out for them all to see. One in particular catching Dante's interest enough that he put his feet back onto the ground to lean forward.

"Is that the Yamato!?"

"Vergil's sword," Trish added, her and Dante sharing a certain, knowing _look_. "Wherever that thing goes, it usually means trouble can't be far behind."

"Tell me about it," Dante grumbled. The last time he'd seen it had been when his _beloved brother_ had nearly flooded the human world with hell itself, all while stabbing him through the chest in a mad scramble for Daddy dearest's precious power.

"What was All For One speaking with them about, do you know?" Trish asked, turning back to the Commission woman.

"Demons. In one of the conversation's we recorded, there's mention of something called a...Hell gate?" The Commission rep informed grimly. "There's also talk of numerous experiments that were being carried out. We don't know how much All For One's absence may affect things, it may make whoever else is behind this more desperate, or if they're demons-"

"They may already be in the midst of taking revenge," Dante concluded. "Hell, depending on just how pissed they are, it may actually explain _a lot_ of things." Dante muttered, more to himself with his eyes briefly flitting to the door once more and back. Only Trish caught the movement.

"If you don't mind, I have some questions regarding the kid?" Dante prodded, not at all fond of the guarded expression overtaking the human woman's face suddenly. "And yes, I mean the one you call Hawks."

"As I already mentioned, he's not a demon nor has he come into contact with any thus far." Neither Dante nor Trish looked all that convinced. The human made a point of looking away when Dante's left brow arched curiously, bit by bit giving into the mounting pressure in the room with another heavy sigh.

"There was a certain _incident_ when he was younger, before he was put in our care."

"Incident? So he was attacked?" Trish asked, arms folded across her chest.

"No, there was no indication of injury on him by the time he was found, but...his parents…" The Commission rep seemed to turn away in thinly-veiled disturbance, allowing Dante and Trish to get a pretty good idea of what might've happened.

"Where did he used to live? I'll check into it real quick," Dante said rising from his spot on the couch. ' _Better than staying in this boring staff room any longer_ ,' he thought. As if mirroring his thoughts, Trish decided to throw her two cents into the conversation with a short, "I'll go too, in case there's trouble."

Dante didn't bother hiding how his eyes rolled at her flimsy excuse for getting out of the meeting. Morrison let out a snort of amusement as she went striding past him and out the door. The Devil hunter was left shaking his head feeling an all new headache start to form.

"Oh that sundae better be there when I get home…" He followed her out the door without giving the Commission member a backward glance, much to her mounting frustration.

"Wait, what about-"

"I wouldn't bother. If it _is_ demons the two of them will be more than enough." Morrison was quick to assure, taking a long drag of his cigarette. The woman made a face of annoyance, clearing her throat to get the other male's attention.

He followed her stern gaze towards the clearly shown 'Smoking prohibited' sign on the door before giving his best attempt at a sheepish smile, following his cohorts out the door in a timely fashion.

"Honestly…" She muttered once alone. Messaging her temples in irritation, it had been just one headache after another this day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've decided to put the poll back up, this early on in the story though, it's mostly just for funsies. So feel free to share your thoughts.
> 
> https://strawpoll.com/zv82kwhoc

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed!


End file.
